Duterte to wait for court ruling on sea row

MANILA, Philippines - Only after the release of a ruling by the arbitral court in The Hague on Manila’s maritime case against Beijing will the Duterte administration speak about its policy on the dispute over territories in the South China Sea.

“We shut up. We will wait for the decision before we make any public statement,” outgoing Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said, addressing officials and employees of the Davao City Hall yesterday morning.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration is expected to decide in the next days on a three-year-old case filed by the Philippines seeking a reaffirmation of its entitlements in the West Philippine Sea and contesting China’s massive claim. 

China, which is claiming almost the entire South China Sea, has snubbed the proceedings.

The president-in-waiting said he is set to meet with his top defense and military officials after his inauguration to discuss the matter and thresh out a policy on dealing with China.

“We’re just waiting for arbitral judgment. I have to talk to everybody in government to decide, including the military,” Duterte added.

He had said in recent interviews that he was willing to enter into talks with China on the matter – and to strengthen relations with the Asian power.

But during the campaign, Duterte was more confrontational – even declaring in a presidential debate that he would race to one of the disputed islands on a motorboat or a jet ski to plant a Philippine flag and to dramatize his determination to assert the country’s sovereignty. 

He told the audience it would be up to the Filipino people to mourn his death in case he got killed in the ensuing “crossfire.”